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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · branch · current · row · face · wake · lie · squash

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. face — part of the head
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wake — a trail
  5. face — to point toward
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. row — a line
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. branch — a division
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — electric
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — of water
  20. face — to confront
  21. squash — the sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. lie — to recline
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com